


Shevine Challenge

by Shell_LA



Category: The Voice (US) RPF, The Voice RPF
Genre: 31daysofshevine, Drabbles, M/M, Shevine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-21
Updated: 2015-01-31
Packaged: 2018-03-08 13:07:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 21,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3210281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shell_LA/pseuds/Shell_LA
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My (very short) drabbles for the 31 day challenge.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Holding Hands

**Author's Note:**

> These are so short you guys, I'm sorry, but there it is.

“So what exactly are you saying?” Blake asked quietly. 

They were sitting across from one another in Blake’s trailer, one of the few places at The Voice studio where they could talk without being overheard. Adam had just confessed something to him, but Blake’s ears were ringing. He must’ve heard wrong. There’s no way he could’ve said what Blake thought he had- it must be his brain gone wonky from all the daydreaming he’d been doing recently about his friend.

Adam was holding one of Blake’s hands in his, his thumbs stroking the country singer’s palm absent-mindedly. It was a little distracting. “I’m saying that all the jokes really mean something to me.” He was serious, more serious than Blake could ever remember seeing him, and he spoke carefully. “I haven’t been kidding when I say that stuff to you. Haven’t been for a while.”

He paused, taking a deep breath as he raised his eyes from where their hands were joined. “I love you Blake. For real.”

Blake’s eyes widened, and he clenched his hand around Adam’s, holding tight. If he didn’t have an anchor right now he might just float away because he MUST be dreaming. After wanting this for so long, imagining it a thousand different ways…Adam was saying these words to him for real.

“Say something. Please.” Adam’s voice is strained.

Blake leans in and kisses Adam lightly on the lips. When he pulls away Adam’s eyes are closed and he’s leaning forward, wanting more. Blake puts his other hand atop both of Adam’s and lays a comforting kiss on his forehead.

“I love you too.”


	2. Spooning

Adam was still shaking, trembling from the force of his orgasm. Blake wiped at the come covering his lovers thighs with the top sheet, groaning as Adam clenched around his length. He was utterly spent, but when Adam moved like that around his cock it sent jolts of arousal down his spine. “You never quit, do you?” He mumbled tiredly against Adam’s neck.

“Nope,” Adam whispered huskily, scooting back against Blake’s chest to keep some of their warmth. “Cover us.”

He ordered sleepily. Blake was happy to comply, reaching behind him to drag their heavy duvet over the both of their bodies. Adam’s eyes were already closed but let out a pleased moan when Blake wrapped his arms around him and settled in for the night, content to keep them connected for just a little while longer. Blake fell asleep to the slow breathing beneath him, his long fingers splayed over Adam’s taught, toned stomach.


	3. Watching a Film

Blake hasn’t ever been fond of this movie, frankly it’s a little weird and creepy, but it’s one of Adam’s favorites so he hadn’t said a word when Adam had popped it into the DVD player. They’d settled on the couch together, Adam curled against Blake’s side in an especially enticing blue sweater, so hey, Blake was fine with how things were going tonight.

He wrapped an arm around Adam’s shoulders and settled in. If he was being honest he had started to doze a little, Adam’s scent always relaxed him in a way nothing else could, so when he heard a little sniffling he blinked sleepily. Glancing down, Blake realized with a jolt that Adam had tears leaking down his face. Blake tightened his grip around his boyfriend. “Honey, are you crying?”

Adam started, wiping his eyes quickly with the sleeves of his sweater that fell over his fingers. “Shut up,” He said thickly. “It’s a really emotional part.”

Affection welled up in Blake’s chest, and he willed himself to not laugh. He only smiled gently and laid a chaste kiss on Adams hair.


	4. On a Date

“Bones! Charlie!” Blake called, watching in amusement as the two dogs jumped through the ocean waves. Adam was a few feet ahead of him, his thin tee shirt rippling in the strong coastal breeze.

Blake was pleased that he’d worn one of the older white ones- the salty spray had made it a little transparent in places. It was a nice view. He let out a surprised laugh when the dogs aimed for Adam, almost knocking him over as they sprayed him with wet sand.

“Hey!” Adam yelled, throwing his arm in front of his face to block his eyes. Blake jogged over, coming up behind Adam and linking arms with him. Adam glared down at his dogs as they raced back into the waves. “We should’ve left them at the house.” He mumbled, sulking. Blake would never tell him this, but it was adorable how his brows would pull into a frown, and how his lower lip would push out into a delectable looking pout.

“Don’t say that,” Blake said fondly. “You know they love it out here. This is like the highlight of their life.”

Adam didn’t argue, choosing instead to lean into Blake’s shoulder. His stormy expression cleared when he looked up into Blake’s eyes, making his heart race. “And you’re the highlight of mine.”


	5. Kissing

“Y-you’re cheating, you motherfu-“ Blake shut Adam up again as he kissed him filthily. They had been fighting, really going at it over their plans for the evening. Adam had wanted them to go over to James’ for a party and Blake had been reluctant to go.

A few testy comments here and there blew the argument up into a full-fledged fight. Adam had started on a tirade of epic proportions; one Blake hadn’t seen the likes of in ages. He’d stared up from his place on the couch with his arms crossed tightly, eyeing his boyfriend in annoyance as he paced in front of him. “I don’t know WHY you get like this!” Adam had been saying. He waved his hands in the air. “You just need to get your ass up or else I’m leaving you here and going anyway!”

Blake frowned. He didn’t like when Adam threatened him this way. The younger man put a hand on his hip. “Are you really going to let me go by myself to this party? When anybody could show up? When anything could happen?”

Jealousy welled in Blake’s chest and he stood abruptly. He stalked over to Adam and grabbed him around the small of his back. Adam let out a little yelp as he was pulled flush against his lover, but he glared up at Blake defiantly.

Blake’s voice was deep, dark and commanding when he said, “You talkin’ like that is going to bring hell, Adam. This party will be the least of your worries.”

Blake was satisfied as he felt a shiver ripple through Adam’s body at his words, and he could hear the quiet but sharp intake of breath.

“Is that a warning?” Adam bit out sassily.

Blake took in Adams flushed cheeks, his sparking eyes. The younger man was irresistible when he was angry. Holding him tighter, he leaned down and claimed Adam’s mouth soundly. A muffled moan was emitted by his boyfriend, but Blake adjusted, bringing both his hands to Adam’s hips to keep him in place as he plundered his mouth.

Blake knew that soon enough Adam would give in. A few more minutes of this and Adam would forget all about the party.


	6. Wearing his Clothes

Adam loves this feeling, loves it more than he can even believe. He’s standing here on stage in front of thousands upon thousands of people. Their cheering is deafening, the band’s instruments loud behind him.

Even his own voice is echoing through the sound system, the sound waves rolling over him. Being on tour is overwhelming when he forgets how it can be. The only thing that grounds him in this moment of insanity is the scent of Blake wrapped around him.

Over one of his vintage tees is Blake’s favorite flannel, a worn old thing that was so so soft. It felt like a blanket wrapped around him, and he clutched at the sleeves, wrapping them around the microphone in his hand with his fingers. His heart was racing with the thought that Blake was backstage somewhere, watching him do his thing.

He’d stolen a kiss before going on tonight, and Blake’s twinkling eyes had told him exactly what the cowboy had been thinking.

Blake had whispered it into his ear anyway. “I’m gonna love seein’ you traipse around out there in my clothes. You’ll be standing there, claimed, and no one’s gonna know any better ‘cept me.”


	7. Incognito

Blake can’t laugh. He can’t. It will give them away and his publicist will be pissed and there will be screaming and paparazzi and a whole hell of a lot of other shit. But Jesus Christ.

Adam is wearing a fucking pink scarf around his head, literally twisted so far up his face that it’s only possible to see a shadow of his eyes under his Los Feliz baseball cap. The puffer jacket and sweatpants don’t help the situation either. Adam gives no fucks though, because they are in New York City and he is a born and bred California boy, and his breath is puffing out in front of his face and he bites out grumpy words. “Come ON! I’m fucking freezing, and shits gonna close if we don’t hurry.”

Blake rolls his eyes, because dramatics never cease with his boyfriend. “Adam,” He drawls, exasperated. “This is New York. Nothing is ever closed. Your precious diner is not going to be closed.”

He clings to Adam’s hand a little tighter so as to not lose him in the crowded streets; one hand on his own cap to ensure it isn’t blown away. It’s less likely a country singer like him will be recognized here, but with Adam the threats of fame never fade. His lover is on that superstardom level after all. Adam is leading him to his favorite dive restaurant in the city, which is purportedly the only place you can get a fish taco worthy of the west coast.

If Adam weren’t so homesick he would’ve begged off, perfectly happy to stay wrapped up in their warm hotel bed. As it is, he can never quite resist Adam when he begs so prettily (and tempts him with hot make out sessions) and so he suffers the cold until they finally make it to their destination. Adam wasn’t kidding- it was a dive for sure. But Blake is used to it, and welcomes the change from their glitzy promo tour for The Voice’s new season.

They hover over their coffee mugs as they wait for their food to come, and with a furtive glance around the joint, Adam tentatively unwraps his scarf. “Hmm,” Blake chuckles. “I was wondering if you were gonna ever come out from under there.”

Adam is flushed from the cold, but shows no shame at the accessory choice, letting the bright scarf hang around his neck.

“Whatever,” He quips. “You know I’m cute.”

Blake smiles. They enjoy their meal together; enjoy the silent companionship until a few camera flashes from outside ruin the moment. Blake is the one facing the window to the street and can see the waiting photographers that have gathered- thirty minutes is faster than they’re usually found. He wonders who spotted them, who tipped off the media. Adam pulls his cap lower over his face and hunches, and that dark protective part of Blake desperately wants to come out and play. He stays calm though. He knows he’s better for Adam this way, and that having his bigger frame to lean into when they have to brave the street will help his lover.

It’s a looming obstacle but they linger over their food, cherishing the moments left to them.


	8. Shopping

“You know this is stupid right?” Blake asks. He’s uncomfortable in a store like this. Hell, he’s uncomfortable shopping in LA period.

It’s one of his least favorite aspects of this city, the decadence and absurdity of spending $400 on an article of clothing nearly identical to ones he could pick up at Walmart never leaves his mind.

Adam is at home in it though, and being a local has something to do with it, Blake imagines. They’ve been strolling Melrose for a good 45 minutes, and had been in three or more shops.

Blake was ready to shoot himself. He shuffled his feet as Adam added two more sweaters to his armful of clothes. “Oh, come on Blake. Man up.” Adam says, not even glancing at his boyfriend as he checks the price tags on a pair of jeans. “I’m almost done anyway.”

He gestures for Blake to follow him to the back of the store, telling him to wait outside a stall. “I’m gonna try these on really fast.”

Blake rolls his eyes. “Why? You’re gonna look hot. They’re gonna fit. What’s the point?”

Adam raises an eyebrow at him from where he’s peeking behind the curtain. “Don’t be such a fucking baby. You know, you could pick something out too.”

Blake lets out a bark of laugh, the idea of straying from his uniform of flannel and jeans hilarious to him, but the laugh is cut short when Adam steps out.

“Well?” The rock star prods, turning to show off the back of the sinfully tight jeans he’s sporting. Holy hell.

“Those work.” Blake says hoarsely.

Adam smirks. “Good. See? This isn’t so bad.” He approaches Blake, leaning up to whisper in his ear. “And now you can think about taking them off of me later.”


	9. On Set

“BLAKE!”

Blake was laughing really hard. He’d just gotten a truly amazing vocalist to pick him for the competition and Adam was furious. He was shaking Blake’s chair in frustration, letting out a wail. “WHyyyyy do they keep choosing you?! What is wrong with them? Did you bribe them?”

Blake merely smiled as Adam scowled. “They know a winner when they see one Adam. Can’t be helped.”

Gwen and Pharrell shook their heads at the couples’ antics. Carson didn’t even bother- the pair was crazy. Even more so since they’d started dating. When they were in between auditions like this it was best to just stay out of the way and let the insanity unfold.

Blake is acting smug, performing for the cameras that are still rolling. “Don’t worry Adam, maybe you’ll have a dark horse contestant and win this season from behind. Lord knows having three front runners didn’t help you much last time.”

The second the words are out of his mouth he knows they’re too far. The crowd oohs at the jab, and even Gwen raises her eyebrows in surprise. Adam’s expression closes just a fraction before staying cool (they’re still in front of an audience after all), but Blake sees it. He feels terrible.

He feels even worse when Adam is more subdued and professional for the remainder of the auditions, not looking over at him as often.

It’s rare that he actually hurts Adam’s feelings and it always ruins his day when he accidentally does so. When they wrap up for the evening Blake hurries to catch up with Adam. He’d aimed for his trailer the second Carson had given them the okay and Blake places a hand on his shoulder.

“I’m really sorry Adam. That was too far.”

Adam smiles up at him, but instead of reassuring it makes Blake feel sad. He recognizes Adam’s fake smiles very well by now- it’s like a knife in his stomach whenever they’re used on him. 

“Don’t worry Blake. I’ll bounce back. Losers are resilient after all.”

“Hey, hey…” Blake turns Adam, holding onto both his hands with his own. “I really am sorry- that was my bad, okay? You’re a hell of a coach and you KNOW I think so.”

Adam bites his lip, studying Blake’s earnest expression. He folds. “Yeah, okay.”

He extricates one of his hands and slaps Blake on the shoulder. “Just like seein’ you grovel big country. Lets me know all that talk is just bullshit.” He trots away, laughing madly.

“Damnit!”


	10. With Animals

“What…what IS it though?” Adam said weakly.

Blake gaped. “What do you mean? It’s a prairie dog.” He stepped a little closer, his boots crunching the thistles beneath their feet. They were a few feet off the trail. Blake had been glad when Adam had flown out to visit him on his ranch, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have some things to tend to while the rock star was here. He approached it carefully, not wanting to startle the little creature. It was perched on its hind legs, sensing danger but not yet diving beneath ground level.

“Wait- what’re you going to do to it?”

Blake paused, turning slightly so he could look over his shoulder at Adam. “Well…it’s a pest. It’s gotta go.”

Adam looked upset. “What? You can’t kill it!” He bit out indignantly. “That’s like killing a hamster! Or a bunny!”

“Well, the rabbits do get at the garden sometimes…”

“Blake!” Adam was scandalized. “Tell me you don’t kill fucking RABBITS! What kind of farmer are you?!”

Blake rolled his eyes. City boys and their conceptions about country life… “I’m not a farmer, Adam. I’m a rancher. Hell, I’m not even that, I happen to own a ranch that I get to work on when I have some down time.”

Adam looks mutinous. “If you kill that thing Blake I’ll…I’ll…”

Blake folds his arms. “You’ll what?”

Adam’s expression turns evil. “I’ll make sure we watch ET every single night for as long as I’m here.”

Blake surrenders. “Done.”…

A.N: forgive me. I literally googled animals from Oklahoma okay bc what even is the countryside who knows idk


	11. Leather

Blake knew his boyfriend was weird. He knew it, and he liked it. He liked it a lot. One of the things he liked was how Adam preferred to be without clothing around the house.

The man claimed it was more comfortable, that it made him feel at ease. The southerner could admit to himself that if he looked like Adam then he’d probably feel the same way. 

He’s still caught off guard however when he walks into their bedroom and sees Adam sprawled out on their bed in his black leather jacket…and nothing else. He stands stock still in the doorway.

“Adam,” Blake splutters. “Just…what the hell?”

“What?” Adam doesn’t even look up from his phone. “I was cold.”

Blake stares. “So…a shirt isn’t the first thing you go for? Or maybe some pants…?”

No response, other than a slight twisting so Adam is lying on his side. Blake admires the angles of Adam’s hips, the muscle and sinew that make up his lover’s beautiful body.

Adam scoffs. “Uhh, when people get cold they wear jackets Blake. Duh.”

Blake rolls his eyes at Adam’s absurdity. He won’t rise to the bait. Instead he ambles forward, and Adam scoots over to make room for him as he joins him on the comforter.

He takes Adam’s phone (“hey!”) and lays it on the side table. He runs his hands over Adam’s stomach beneath the jacket, earning him a few shivers, before grabbing hold of the lapels. An almost indiscernible squeal escapes Adam as he’s pulled forward and kissed soundly on the mouth.

“You are crazy, you know that right?” Blake says fondly.

Adam smiles. “I know.”


	12. Making Out

Sometimes they get distracted.

Adam and Blake like to make plans on the weekends, ones where they’ll be productive and get things done. Or where they’ll go out and do something like visit the farmers market. Or play tourist and see the sights in LA.

Its almost sad how many times they’ve made these plans, only to end up on the couch in front of the tv kissing the living daylights out of each other.

“Ugh,” Blake groans, pulling Adam closer by the waist of his jeans. Adam grinds against him harder, rolling his hips sensually as he straddles Blake.

Arousal jolts through Blake as Adam licks a small stripe up his neck before blowing on it, triggering shivers all over his body. If he weren’t so turned on he would roll his eyes. Only Adam…

As it is, he IS extremely turned on, and he guides Adam by the back of his head so he is able to lick into his mouth, earning a messy moan.

He pulls away for breath momentarily, scratching his fingers through Adam’s messy hair just to watch him shudder at the sensation.

“Are we still going hiking today?” He asks huskily.

Adam’s eyes are hooded. “Not right now…in a little bit.”

He starts going for Blake’s zipper, so the country singer doesn’t argue.


	13. Ice Cream

They’d decided to take the dogs out to the park in Brentwood because it was one of the most dog friendly places in the city. The day was bright and crisp, and the break from the summer heat was good enough to coax both Blake and Adam out into the sunshine.

Because even Brentwood was still LA, there were some food trucks nestled under the trees at the far end of the park. None of them tempted Adam until they passed what looked to be the last of them- it was a fluorescent blue color, very 50’s retro in its styling.

“Ooh,” Adam breathed as he spotted the menu. This vendor sold Italian Gelato, which happened to be one of Adam’s favorite desserts. He turned to Blake. “Don’t try to talk me out of it,” He warned playfully. “I’m having some. I’ve already decided.”

Blake put his hands up in surrender, chuckling. “Go for it. You know I think your diet is too strict anyhow.”

Adam scoffed at the remark but tugged on the dogs’ leashes. The pair walked up and ordered- chocolate for Blake and coconut flavor for Adam.

They claimed a bench and started in on their treats, the dogs happily panting at their feet. They were both in large, loose shirts and comfy jeans, which allowed Adam to sit cross-legged on the polished wood, his back resting against the arm of the bench.

He hummed contentedly as he licked the cool ice cream, which prompted Blake to smile.

His boyfriend was a bit of a hedonist, completely shameless in his pursuit of the finer things in life. With each little sound coming out of Adam’s mouth as he consumed his dessert, Blake’s eyebrows rose a little bit higher. Adam’s sounds were turning obscene and Blake had almost forgotten about his own ice cream as Adam neared finishing is own.

“Enjoying yourself?” Blake asked.

Adam licked his lips messily.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

Adam scooped one finger into the now empty cup, bringing some melted ice cream to his lips. Not looking away from Blake’s face he drew his finger into his own mouth and sucked, hollowing his cheeks a little around the digit.

Blake was entranced by the little show his boyfriend was giving him, and Adam dissolved into laughter at the sight. The older man hadn’t noticed that his gelato was dribbling down his fingers, totally forgotten.

“Here, let me help you.” Adam quipped, smiling. He reached over and grabbed Blake’s wrist. The country singer didn’t resist, his eyes widening as Adam brought his hand to his lips and started licking away the chocolate.

“Mmm,” The rock star hummed. “What a good mix of flavors.”


	14. Family

When Blake’s family comes out to LA, Adam is a wreck. They’re both pretty much slobs, but the week before they arrive Adam is cleaning like a loon. He can’t ever remember doing this much housework and when it’s all done he snaps at Blake for dirtying up the place. When the country singer puts down a beer where it might spill and Adam chastises him for it they stare at each other, thunderstruck. Adam almost can’t believe the words had come out of his mouth.

“Babe.” Blake says weakly. “You sounded like your mom just now.”

Adam throws his hands in the air, swearing to call a maid service the day before they finally show up from Oklahoma if it’s necessary. This was already getting too freaky.

Blake’s relatives do arrive though, and once they’re settled into their rooms in the couple’s large LA home Adam suggests a welcome dinner downtown.

Blake’s mom is just like him, sweetly Southern, and she is perfectly friendly during their outing. Adam struggles with how he should act. Even though Blake had reassured him that his family had no qualms with their relationship, Adam was still extremely nervous about it. Did Dorothy resent him for breaking up such a beautiful marriage? The woman merely smiled at Adam throughout the evening though, and so Adam tried to convince himself that everything was going fine.

They end the night back at the house, chatting over coffee on the back porch. Adam still isn’t able to fully relax, and blames it on his ADHD when Blake pulls him aside to ask if everything is all right. Not until everyone is heading to bed does Adam get an emotional reprieve. He’s washing up coffee mugs when a hand on his shoulder startles him.

“Oh! Dorothy! I thought you went up already.”

He’s surprised when Blake’s mom reaches out and hugs him. It’s a little awkward but he feels the warmth and love in the hug- this woman had raised Blake; it makes sense she’d be just as affectionate as he was. “I just wanted to say thank you.” She smiled at Adam. “Seeing Blake this happy, this content…I didn’t know if it was ever going to happen.”

Adam doesn’t know what to say. “I…”

“You’re good for him, dear.” She says. “In a way I haven’t ever seen.”

Adam smiles, feeling warm. “He’s good for me too.”


	15. Sports

This is why people shouldn’t raise their kids here.” Blake bleated, hands reaching haphazardly up towards Adam. “Ya’ll think this shit is normal, and then you get your asses killed.”

“Shut UP Blake! I’m trying to concentrate!”

They’d watched Lords of Dogtown. Again. Adam was feeling a little hometown pride thanks to Stacy Peralta, which inspired him to drag Blake down to the local skate park. Adam was poised to fly down into the bowl on the only skateboard he owned. He’d dragged it out of a pile of rubbish in the garage, not bothering to bring a helmet with him. The lack of safety gear was giving Blake heart palpitations.

“Please don’t. You’re going to break something.” Blake begged. “It’s probably going to be that thick skull of yours!”

Adam ignored him. “Here I go!”

He shifted his weight, the back wheels lightly clipping the lip of the concrete, and he was speeding down the ramp successfully. Blake watched in amazement as Adam rather skillfully made his way around the bowl, pivoting and swiveling on his board with ease. His hair was flying back and he let out an exhilarated laugh.

“You never mentioned you actually knew how to do this!” Blake called.

Adam grinned as he swerved, riding the lip of the bowl before descending into it again smoothly. “I’m from LA dude, what did you expect.”

Blake guffawed. “Whatever, ‘dude’.”

“Ha. Ha. Listen here you little shit- Whoaa!!” Adam’s board went flying out from underneath him. He stumbled but couldn’t get his bearings; he was about to eat pavement when-

“Why is it I’m always having to get your dumbass out of trouble?” Blake’s words weren’t nice, but his smile was sunny as he caught Adam mid fall. He tipped Adam back onto his feet, patting his shoulder condescendingly as the younger man tried to hide his embarrassment.

“Shut up…you do it because you love me.” Adam folded his arms over his chest, eyeing his rogue board with a surly expression. Blake tipped his chin upwards with a finger so he was looking up at him.

The Southerner’s expression was tender. “That I do, rock star. That I do.”


	16. Morning Ritual

As usual, Blake is only a grumpy lump under the covers until Adam places a hot mug of coffee on the bedside table. It’s one of those days though, and he’s a tiny bit hung over, so Adam sics the dogs on him to get him up. They wriggle with excitement, tangling themselves in the sheets in their attempts to lick Blake’s face.

He sits up finally, grasping blindly for the hot beverage that’s inches away. He takes a satisfying sip of the hot coffee and sighs. He can hear Adam humming in the bathroom, smelling the spicy body wash and the sharp scent of Adam’s hair product.

His lover was an early riser, and despite his sunrise yoga routines he always allowed Blake to sleep as late as possible before waking him up.

Blake was eternally grateful.

He stumbled into the bathroom, stooping to kiss Adam’s forehead before starting the shower. “Mornin’”. He murmured.

Adam smiled up at him through a mouthful of toothpaste, and Blake stifled a laugh at the sight.

The car was due to take them to the studio in about 40 minutes, so Blake had to hustle. He stepped into the shower, keenly aware of Adam’s eyes on him through the reflection of the mirror. If they weren’t crunched for time, he’d probably drag Adam in here with him. What a damn shame.


	17. Trying to be Quiet

“O-oh God.”

“Mmhmm baby, but shh, you gotta be quiet for me.” Blake is lathing at the skin over Adam’s collarbone, his hands wrapped tight around the smaller man’s cock. He has Adam against the wall with his shirt half off.

The air in the closet is thick with the smell of musk and sex, and Blake is watching the goose bumps flush over Adam’s skin with lust blown eyes. He pumps Adam faster, watches those hips writhe up into his touch. Adam is a slave to his pleasure in this moment, his mouth open in a silent whine.

“You’re being so good, baby.” Blake whispers hotly. “So good for me.”

“Ahh,” Adam brings a hand to his mouth, biting down as he squeezes his eyes shut.

“Ah-ghh- B-blake-!”

The country singer has to kiss him to shut him up, feeling the hot liquid spill over his fingers. He crowds Adam with his body and raises his messy hand to Adam’s pliant mouth.

He watches hungrily. Without a word, Adam widens his lips for Blake’s fingers obediently, licking his come until Blake’s fingers are clean.

He’s tugging at Blake’s collar, tugging him down for a kiss, and Blake complies before helping his boyfriend redress himself. He wonders ruefully how many more lunch breaks at the studio will end this way.


	18. Something New

Adam’s trembling and his muscles are sore already. He’s so hard, his cock is leaking onto the sheets. Blake’s grip on his hips hasn’t weakened, and the slick sounds are burning their way into Adam’s brain.

“Fuck!” He pants, and pulls helplessly at the rope tying his wrists together. He looks up at it, at how it’s securely wrapped around the bedpost. He’s not going anywhere.

“You taste good, baby.” Blake grumbles, and Adam feels his finger glide over his rim, followed by a hot tongue.

Adam is on his knees with his shoulders and face pressed to the mattress. Blake has made him present for him in this way before, but he’s never been pinned down before today. His arms are bound together, on the bed above his head. He’s whimpering into the sheets, the noise turning into a long, continuous moan as Blake finally reaches around and grips his cock in firm fingers.

“Stay spread, Adam.” Blake’s tone is peppered with warning, and Adam makes sure to obey. He’s maybe drooling a little bit, delirious with pleasure as Blake shoves a long finger into him.

“Yes,” Blake says breathlessly. “Nice and still for me, aren’t you? Won’t move unless I tell you to honey.”

Adam nods, doesn’t care if Blake sees it. He only cares about how empty he feels, and how Blake is going to fill him up soon if he’s good.

“Yes!” The hoarse whisper is all he can get out when one finger becomes three. He can’t help tugging at the rope- he wants to move, he wants to touch Blake…

Fingers move his face, and Blake has draped himself over his back. “Adam,” He scolds against Adam’s nape. “Behave.”

“Yes, sir, yes I will. I promis- aghh!”

Blake shoves into him, and all the sound Adam can get out is breathy whines. His wrists are raw, but the way Blake kisses the bindings as he thrusts into him has Adam losing his mind. The pain is worth the pleasure.


	19. Formal Wear

Adam adjusted his bowtie and sighed. Staring at the mirror in the waiting room, he bit his lip and pulled roughly to undo it. It wasn’t right. He needed it to look perfect.

He jumped nearly a mile when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“It looks fine, man.” Jesse said quietly, in what Adam knew was supposed to be a soothing tone to Omegas. “He’s gonna love you. You look good.”

This didn’t soothe Adam much at the moment but he said nothing- only looked around the room at his group of friends and their own mates. Even though Adam was shaky with nerves he could see that his friends were excited and still in shock that this day had actually arrived. They’d all given up on the idea that Adam would ever find his other half.

He hadn’t seen his Alpha since the day he’d imprinted on Adam. The band had been performing at some music festival a couple days ago, touring the country on the summer circuit. They’d spent the morning trying to keep cool in the shade of the VIP tents, and when it came time to walk across the grassy lawn to the stage Adam had been the last straggler of the bunch.

He’d come off of his heat a few days prior, and so the temperature had left him a little more tired than usual. This was also probably why he was unable to defend himself when he was snatched away from the group by strong arms around his chest. Hands gripped him hard and started pulling him away from his friends. He’d thought he was being attacked, and the fear and surprise choked him up. Only his startled cry alerted security as he was yanked backwards, and a near-brawl later Adam got a glimpse of him. Of his mate.

He was tall, clad in jeans, and struggling under a pile of people to get to Adam. He hadn’t known what to do other than hide his fright until the man looked up and pierced Adam with the bluest, most intense gaze he’d ever experienced. Suddenly the rush of fear turned into one of want, and the frustrated snarling he heard shot arousal through him. He doesn’t remember trying to pull the bodyguards off of the guy, or having his face kissed off in front of dozens of people, but his band mates swear it had happened. Once everyone finally realized what the fuck was going on Adam had been whisked away by James (“for your safety, Adam, really…it needs to be legal!”) until things could be sorted. He does remember screaming for his mate as he was pulled away, only to realize he didn’t even know his name.

Adam tried not to be resentful over the fact that his Alpha friends had now spent more time with his mate than he had, and it had truly been a struggle not to be a stereotypical ‘bitchy Omega’ as all the paperwork and the ceremony at the local city hall were handled. It was especially bizarre having to learn facts about his partner from Jesse and the others but that’s how it was- interaction was prohibited until the bonding was completed and registered.

His only relief was now having a name to cling to.

Blake.

Blake was all he’d been thinking about, their fleeting tussle his only fuel for his imagination. But now, finally, after two seemingly endless days, he was going to be married. He was going to be a bonded Omega. Despite his nerves, it was this thought that made him brave as his friends guided him through the hallways and down the stairs to the ceremony room. He held his hands by his sides to steady himself as he was pushed through the last pair of double doors.

Across the room, accompanied by people Adam assumed were his own friends and family, Blake looked radiant. He was dressed like Adam in a tux for the occasion, and he was smiling with such warmth and love that the younger man felt as though he might melt into the floor. Through years of aching loneliness, Adam had wished desperately for anyone to be in his life no matter who they were or what they looked like, but now… he couldn’t deny the pleasure of having someone so handsome as a mate. Blake looked strong and warm and safe. With his defiant curls and charming dimples, he looked like home. The strain of the last few days seemed to fade now that they were in the same room again, and nothing but happy anticipation filled Adam’s mind.

With a deep breath Adam stepped forward. He was ready to be home.


	20. Dancing

“Ugh. God…Why are you watching that?!” Adam cried, embarrassed. He made a grab for Blake’s phone, but the country singer only laughed and held it high enough to be out of reach. 

“What? It’s sexy!”

Adam blushed like mad. “Ew, no it’s not, I look stupid. Plus that’s really creepy dude, come on.”

The YouTube video of Moves like Jagger continued to play, making it all a very strange, surreal moment for Adam. It’s wasn't everyday your own voice was the background music to your life. 

“How is me watching your music video creepy? I’m your boyfriend.” Blake quipped. He looked up at his phone, watching again with a giant grin on his face. “Come to think of it, why do you never move like that for me, huh?”

Adam frowned helplessly. “Uhh maybe because if anyone danced like that in real life they’d get punched?”

Blake looked down at his lover, his eyebrows raised in surprise. “I don’t think so. I think it’d just be a real good way to get things goin’, you know what I’m saying?” This ridiculous statement was accompanied by Blake wiggling his eyebrows in a suggestive way. Adam couldn’t help bursting into laughter. “Oh. My. God. You are so corny, do you realize that?”

Blake only smiled. "Doesn't seem to stop you from stickin' around does it?" 

Adam shook his head, exasperated. "Fine, be that way." 

Blake felt a spark of uncertainty when Adam's resigned expression suddenly lit up, morphing into an evil grin. 

"What?" 

Adam didn't answer. Instead he diverted his attention to his own mobile where he began typing quickly. A moment later horror rose up in Blake because he recognized that song. "Adam...no." He said weakly. "That's low!"

Adam only cackled and turned up the volume on the Tonight Show clip. "Look at you go babe! Now THOSE are some moves!" Puttin' on the Ritz filtered through, and Blake knew very well that Adam was watching him tap dance like a loon. He reached for Adam's phone but his boyfriend trotted away, laughing gleefully. 

"You're gonna be sorry!" Blake exclaimed, running after him across the house.


	21. Cooking

Blake isn’t a fool. He knows that when Adam comes over, waking him from a dead sleep by pounding on his front door that he’s going through a serious thing. He knows it’s serious by the grim, despairing expression on his face as he leans against the door frame. He knows it’s serious by the tequila breath that nearly knocks him over when Adam stumbles into the mudroom. He knows its serious when, after sitting the rock star down with a water bottle on the couch, he admits in a broken and tired voice that Behati has left him.

The firestorm of feelings rushing through Blake in the face of this information is extinguished when Adam says with the resolve of a man twice his age, “I’m not doing this anymore. This…this is never going to happen to me again.” 

Adam Levine swears off of love in the living room of the man who has loved him for three years. Blake doesn’t say a word.

Blake leaves it alone for a good while. After the disintegration of his own marriage, he knows that licking one’s wounds can take a while. He is there for Adam, through all the post break up phases that accompany having your heart broken. He picks Adam up from bars, talks him down from screaming matches with their friends, pushes him through the daily grind of their work lives, and all the while keeps his lips sealed. 

Eventually, things get better. Adam is smiling again. He doesn’t stalk her social media and then swear he wasn’t when Blake catches him. He takes up his hobbies again, spending hours on the green or in the studio or in the gym. One thing that doesn’t change is Adam stays over most nights, sleeping in a spare bedroom and making himself at home. 

Blake’s heart bubbles over with warmth when the dogs beds and bowls make their way over to this place somehow, and he’s careful not to betray any of these feelings when he finds that Adam has begun to accumulate large piles of stuff in the country singer’s home. 

He also doesn’t mind when he comes home to find pages and pages of scribbled lyrics on the kitchen counter, in between couch cushions, and all over the piano. He often beats the temptation to read them before putting them into a neat pile at Adam’s bedroom door, but sometimes he looks. When it first happened, they were angry daggers of lines, often times scratched through or torn up. These days, they were calming down into more organized, articulated heartbreak. They’re ingenious in their fearlessness; it steals Blakes breathe when he sees how Adam’s written down everything he’s been feeling. He hides nothing, and Blake is positive this will be Adam’s best work…if he ever releases it. 

It’s when he’s doing laundry, realizing as he folds shirts that over a third of the clothing does not belong to him. This is when he decides it might be okay to start thinking on his game plan. He’d endured four solid months of being so, so close to Adam but far away in all the ways that actually mattered. It’s felt like a noose around his neck that tightens every time Adam smiles at him, teases him, cooks for him, falls asleep next to him. Blake is choking on how much he loves his best friend. Maybe now he can do something about it. 

“Hey, man.”

Adam’s legs sprawled over the arm of the sofa are the first things Blake sees when he walks in the door. The rest of him is hidden from view, but Blake knows this position well. He knows Adam’s torso is thrown across the couch cushions, with his gaze focused on the TV screen. The Golf channel is on, which is something that Blake could’ve bet money on. The younger singer always ends up this way when he’s on the far end of watching a tournament. The only difference is usually Blake is seated there too, with the singer’s head resting in his lap. 

Adam’s called greeting is all Blake gets besides the obligatory stampede of dogs and wagging tails. Adam doesn’t move a muscle, his attention focused. “Who are you rooting for?” Blake asks as he sheds his jacket and tosses it on a chair. He ambles forward, hovering by Adam’s feet as he tries to muster up some interest for the world’s most boring sport. He lets a hand rest on a jean clad knee as Adam grumbles some nonsense about points and par and whatever. 

Adam’s words go over his head because, like always, Blake is marveling at their domesticity and imagining how much happiness it would bring him to simply lean down and lay a kiss on Adam, the way couples do. He has to pull his thoughts back and remain patient and careful. 

“Hello, earth to Blake.” 

Laughing draws his attention. “I knew you weren’t listening to anything I said. Why do you ask if you don’t care?”

Blake smiles sheepishly. “Maybe I just like listening to you talk.”

Adam stares at him, stymied by this little confession. He shakes his head, muttering “weirdo…” before turning back to the TV. Blake heads to the kitchen.

“You want chicken?” He calls over his shoulder. 

“Hell yeah!”

Blake chuckles and collects the ingredients he needs. Half an hour later, Adam’s match is over and he wanders over to watch Blake cook and impede the process by sitting on the counter.

“That’s not hygienic you moron.” Blake quips in annoyance as he works around the vocalist. He’s reaching over Adam’s lap for the spices when the younger man grabs his wrist. “What now?” 

Instead of seeing a playful or mischievous expression when he looks up, Blake is surprised to see a small, tentative smile on Adam’s face. “Nothing, I just… I’m grateful you’ve let me hang around for so long Blake, and for putting up with all of my shit.” Adam’s tone is sincere, a rare thing in their relationship. “I don’t think I ever really thanked you, and I should’ve before now. You’re a good friend.”

Blake feels a small pang in his chest at the word ‘friend’, all too aware of his desperation to be more than that for the man in front of him, but he claps Adam on the shoulder anyway. 

“I’ve been happy to,” He says with a nonchalance he doesn’t feel. “I know you’d do the same for me. And you can stay as long as you like, by the way, if this is your way of saying   
you’re going to kick off soon.”

He looks down at the dishes as he speaks before he gets too sappy over this moment they’re sharing. “Now come on and help me, we’re never gonna eat dinner if you keep hovering.”


	22. Performing

Their jobs are important. Being paid to be musicians is something that Blake and Adam are thankful for each and every day. Sometimes though, they miss being able to play just for themselves. 

After all songwriting and singing is an art first and foremost, and artists need time to withdraw, reflect, and draw out something from within them worth sharing. So when Blake and Adam live together, neither takes it personally when the other disappears into the basement or the spare bedroom for a few days. 

When Blake writes, he likes to wander outside or find a park. He’ll never regret moving to LA for Adam, but sometimes he misses Oklahoma so much it feels like his chest will break. He needs the fresh air, the smell of earth and wind ruffling his hair to feel the twinges of that old inspiration that used to burn through his veins so painfully when he was younger. 

He is able to get a taste of it sitting on the sands of Venice, but it’s not quite the same. The salt of the sea spray tingles his nose as he sits and thinks. Back in the day when Blake had been struggling to make ends meet, back when life was really hard writing had seemed so easy. 

Probably because he had so much uncertainty, fear and anguish to pull from. These days, he was happier than he’d ever thought possible, his life comprised of things he would never have hoped to have. A love he would’ve never hoped to have. Finding something to write about was hard when you were content all the time! He smiles ruefully at the thought, and puts his pen to paper. 

When he comes home he has a fair few pages of chicken scratch slapped down, but he has a feeling he’ll be able to turn them into something more if given a little time to ruminate. He considers it a day well spent. 

“Finally!” He hears Adam cry from around the corner. “About fucking time!”

Blake smiles. “You really know how to welcome a guy home, don’t ya baby?” 

“Come here.” Adam says quickly. “I need someone to tell me if this is total shit or not.”

Happiness lifts Blake’s mood even more. It was rare that Adam played original stuff for him, or for anyone. Getting to listen to him croon out raw lyrics always made his day. They didn’t often make it onto the albums in this form, and Blake was truly lucky to be one of the few to hear Adam’s process. He sits across from Adam on the couch where he’s curled over one of his guitars. His plucking is tentative at first. 

“Fuck, sorry,” He mumbles as he readjusts. “I’ve been messing with the key, I don’t know yet…how I want to make it…” He trails off as he picks it up again. A moment of listening to the chords and their sweet lilting, Adam’s voice eases in softly. 

Blake listens, enthralled already as the words dance their way through the melody. Adam’s eyes are closed for most of the song, only opening them to glance down and ensure his finger work is okay now and again. He’s beautiful like this, and if he didn’t want to keep listening he’d grab Adam and kiss the crap out of him. As it is, he only leans a little further in. It’s true what they say… music can be one of the most intimate things in the world.


	23. Arguing

Blake knows he doesn’t do it on purpose, but it drives him absolutely mad. “I’ve asked you, what? A thousand times to cut it out?”

After crawling sleepily out of their bed this morning, Blake had been walking with his eyes half closed to the kitchen for some much needed coffee when he’d almost killed himself tripping on Adam’s stupid yoga mat. “You leave it out EVERY morning! Why is it so hard to just roll it up? It’s not. It’s the easiest thing in the world.”

Adam is staring in annoyance. “You pulled me out of the shower early for this? Rude, much?” 

The singer had only a towel around his waist that he held with a white knuckled grip, the steam from the hot water flowing out the bathroom door into their bedroom. 

Blake scoffs. “Nice. I can see there’s going to be no apology here, even though I trip on that damn thing all the time…”

Adam’s expression doesn’t change; he looks too angry to really be sorry so Blake starts to feel petulant. “And you should probably figure out something better to say when a person is trying to have a real conversation with you. Talking like a teenage girl every time we fight doesn’t actually help your case.”

Blake knows it’s a little mean to say, but Adam only laughs, albeit in a caustic and hostile way. “Nice, Blake.” 

He walks angrily up to him, invading his personal space, and his eyes narrow. Blake can tell he’s really pissed off now. “You want me to sound more ‘grown up’, huh? You think I’m stupid, don’t you?”

Blake’s eyebrows fly up in surprise as he stares down at his lover’s furious expression. What the hell? “No, Adam, that’s not what I was saying. I just want you to fucking pick up your mat after your workout, that’s-“

“Only with the stupid singer for his ‘pretty face’, Blake?” Adam’s mocking tone is scathing. 

“Stop! Stop puttin’ words in my mouth Adam! You’re so off base it’s not even funny,“ Blake spits in a frustrated tone. He waves his hands in aggravation and several things happen at once. 

Adam’s eyes go very very wide for a second, and he lets out a tiny strangled gasp. Then he’s squeezing them shut as he steps quickly backwards. Blake watches in shock as his boyfriend’s shoulders hunch a bit as he turns his body away slightly. 

Blake’s heart starts beating quickly. “Adam…”  
The sound of his name pulls the singers attention. He straightens, his expression tight with panic as he seems to realize what’s just happened. 

“Adam, what...” Blake knows what this is, but how is that possible? How could Adam of all people have been…

“I would never hit you, baby.” Blake says quietly. All of his anger has evaporated. 

Adam looks horror struck and steps forward again. “No, I know Blake, I’m so sorry.” His voice breaks on the apology. “I…it was just a reaction, that’s all.”

Blake’s expression becomes shadowed and his mind starts to race with a litany of questions, the main one wondering who had done this to Adam. He places a tentative, steadying hand against Adam’s neck and is relieved when he leans into the touch. “One trained into you no doubt.”

Adam says nothing. 

“Do we need to talk about this?” Blake asks. 

Adam bites his lip. “No. Not now at least… It’s something that I’d rather not remember.”

Heartbreak and concern fuel Blake’s next words, and he can’t deny that he’s desperately curious. “Okay. But if it- I mean, if you… ever want to tell me anything you don’t have to think twice on it.”’

Adam nods, crowding closer. “I know.”

Blake holds him close for a moment, suddenly thankful for being able to do so.


	24. Making Up

When the door swung shut behind him the house seemed absurdly quiet. Strange that it could be so silent when there was nothing but yelling only 12 hours before. Adam looked around and stepped into the foyer. No Blake. 

With a sigh, he trudged upstairs, passing the thrown clothes and smashed picture frames with some embarrassment. He’s careful not to step on anything, toeing his way over to the bedroom. 

Blake’s lying in bed. He’s turned away from the door, but Adam can see his head lift ever so slightly off the pillow when he peeks in. He knocks softly on the doorframe. “Hey.”

Blake doesn’t move. 

“I’m sorry.” Adam bites his lip. “Blake, I’m really really sorry.”

When there’s still nothing from the other side of the room, Adam’s heart starts beating a little faster with anxiety. He has to fix this. There’s no other option. 

“I shouldn’t have let it get that far,” Adam sighs as he crawls onto the bed. “I’m not making excuses for myself, I know it doesn’t matter, but I was already drunk and I didn’t want to be rude-“

Blake’s shoulders stiffen, and Adam watches with a lump in his throat as he reaches over and pulls the duvet higher up over his neck before settling once more. 

“Blake?” He says, hushed. “Can we please talk about this?”

A pregnant pause seems to fill the room. Then Blake draws breathe. 

“I don’t know what there is to talk about. It seemed pretty cut and dry last night.” His voice is hoarse, and Adam’s chest constricts because, god, Blake sounds like he’s been crying. 

“Baby, it wasn’t anything, it was literally the dumbest, stupidest thing-“

“I agree, Adam. Cheating on me was dumb. A really fucked up thing to do.”

The blood drains from Adam’s face. “Blake, no. I didn’t!”

Blake finally turns, shifting under the covers to look up at Adam. “You were kissing her, Adam. You were sucking her face off right in front of me.”

Adam wants to balk, wants to say that’s a serious overstatement of what actually happened, but holds his tongue. 

When he’d tried to defend himself last night and say that he hadn’t initiated it, that she’d walked over, plopped down in his lap and practically attacked him, things had only escalated into screaming about betrayal and trust and 'how could you'. 

Granted, he’d been pretty plastered so he can only assume he did a shit job of defending himself. This is probably why, when their argument devolved and pretty much ended the house party they’d been throwing, Adam had been banished from the house for the night. 

As it is, he knows now that standing his ground isn’t the road to take. Whether it was his fault or not, he’d cut Blake deep. He needed to fucking grovel. 

“I’m stupid, a total idiot and I should’ve just shoved her off of my lap right away. I don’t know why I didn’t, but I swear to you Blake, I only want you.” Adam hopes that something coming out of his mouth will break through. “I don’t need anyone else but you.” 

Blake’s searching his face, and Adam hopes to God he looks as earnest, scared, and contrite as he feels. 

Some kind of shadow seems to lift from Blake’s eyes. He reaches up to touch Adam’s cheek and the younger man leans into the touch, eager for some contact after a very long, lonely and sleepless night on Mickey’s couch. 

Blake’s voice is quiet. “Seein’ her touch you felt like being shot Adam. There’s no other way I can describe it.”

Adam nods. He can only imagine how he would lose his fucking mind if someone else ever put their hands on Blake. He wants to say sorry again but is afraid of sounding like a broken record. “It will never happen again.” 

Blake moves suddenly, rolling over onto Adam who lays flat against the bed to accommodate his boyfriend. “Good.”

He’s kissing Adam then, with a ferocity that leaves him trembling. He hadn’t even been gone a day but he’s missed Blake’s touch. He’s eager to reaffirm his devotion. Adam stretches his hands up and wraps his arms around Blake’s neck to bring him closer. 

The Southerner’s scruff feels like sandpaper as he kisses down Adam’s neck, and he closes his eyes to savor the sensation. Adam toes off his shoes, hearing the two thumps as they hit the floor at the end of the bed, and he’s forced to release Blake when he starts to pull down the sweatpants he’d borrowed from Mickey last night. 

“Blake,” Adam cries out. Blake has his pants around his ankles and his mouth around Adam’s cock in a swift second. “Ohh…my-“

Blake sucks hard, almost greedily as he pushes Adam’s legs apart. He’s bobbing his head, working Adam towards hardness almost painfully fast and Adam’s hands fly to Blake’s hair. He threads his fingers through the thick curls there, staring down at his lover lustfully. “Should…shouldn’t I be the one doing this?” He asks in a shaky voice. “I’m the one who- agh! …who fucked up after all…”

Blake pulls away with an obscene sound. “No, Adam.” His voice is husky. “I want you nice and relaxed before I get goin’.” When he looks up his eyes are cold, blue fire. “You’re not leaving this bed again until I’ve claimed you good n’ proper.”

Adam feels like he’s almost ready to come undone at these words alone, and he emits a squeaking moan when his cock is surrounded by warm wet heat once more. A shot of arousal shoots down his spine as Blake works him, gripping his ass and pressing Adam’s body closer up into his space. 

Adam squeezes his eyes shut and grips the sheets underneath him tight. “Ohh fuck oh fuck oh my god-”

Blake’s hum around his member is one of approval, and the sensation has Adam arching his back, gasping helplessly as he comes down Blake’s throat. He stares up at the ceiling as he tries to catch his breathe. He’s dizzily trying to understand how he’s just comed more quickly than he ever has in his life when he feels one of his legs being shifted higher up towards his torso. 

“You’re mine, Adam.” Blake murmurs, and runs one long, cold finger around Adam’s entrance. He shivers and tries to lift his head a little to look down and see, but flops back down again a second later. He’s still brain dead from his orgasm. 

“Ohh-“ He keens weakly when Blake penetrates him, exploring his body with first one finger, then two. He’s pushing steadily, insistently working Adam open while lathing at his inner thigh. “Won’t let anyone else touch you, huh?” Blake asks in between lapping and kissing at Adam’s skin. 

“Won’t…” Adam mumbles. “I won’t…”

Blake grips one of Adam’s ankles tightly with one hand whilst the other adds another finger to the pair already inside Adam’s body. He bites Adam's thigh, almost drawing blood. “That’s right, Adam.”

He swivels his fingers, curling them until Adam whines, thrusting his hips up into cold, empty air. “Now tell me why, baby. Tell me exactly.”

Adam fights the haze of pleasure, trying to hold onto his sanity when a part of Blake is inside of him. It’s not easy. “’Cause I’m yours, Blake.”

“What’s that?”

“I’m yours!” Adam gasps.

“Again.” Blake pushes deeper, pulling a sob from Adam’s throat. 

“I BELONG to you!” The younger man shrieks, and finally Blake seems satisfied. He crawls up Adam’s body, kissing him on the mouth again. Adam responds eagerly, his muffled moan a high pitch. 

“That’s right.” He croons against Adam’s collarbone. “You’re mine only.” Blake shoves his boxers down, gripping himself and after a few perfunctory strokes he is poised to breach Adam. 

Adam waits with bated breath but Blake doesn’t budge. “Ah…B-Blake, please,”

Blake is teasing him, running the head of his cock back and forth over his entrance. “Please, what?”

Adam stares up at Blake’s face dazedly. He takes a shot in the dark. “Please…Master.”

Blake shoves into him so suddenly that Adam’s scream is soundless. His hands fly up to grip at Blake’s broad shoulders, holding him close as he’s fucked as hard as he can ever remember. “Ah-ahh, ah…” He’s whimpering under the force of his boyfriend’s thrusts, the pain a dark delicious flavor he can taste on his tongue. 

Even though it shouldn’t be possible, he feels his member stirring in interest as Blake growls harshly against his neck as he penetrates Adam over and over again, and his pace becomes savage and unsteady as he bites down on Adam’s neck hard. 

“U-ugh, Blake yes YES please, come inside me,” Adam is babbling, wanting and needing to be good for Blake. “I need it, I’m yours, please mark me- mark me up, fill me up-!!”

Blake is pounding into him, the heat between them suffocating, drawing all the air out of the room until Adam squeezes his muscles around his boyfriend’s cock. Blake comes inside of Adam, filling him up with a snarl. 

They’re both breathing deeply, and Adam squeezes his eyes shut, gripping Blake’s sweaty nape with shivery fingers. His muscles keep contracting, wanting everything because Blake’s still shoving into him slightly, still aiming to stake his claim. 

Adam pulls Blake down, guiding his chin so their mouths are millimeters apart. His promise is no louder than a whisper. “I’m never leaving you, Blake.” 

His lover’s eyes are dark, but his expression is raw and filled with aching love. “I’d never let you go.”


	25. Staring into each others eyes

“BLAKE! C’MERE!” Adam called over his shoulder. His face was blasted with warm air as he opened the oven and removed the lasagna with painstaking caution.

Cooking lessons had been going well, but he never wanted to be burned again- it had stung like a motherfucker last week when he’d prepared brownies.

He placed the dish on the counter and pulled off the big red oven mitts- a nice pair from William & Sonoma from Blake. He’d been putting them to good use this past month, and now he was eager to impress his boyfriend with yet another successful recipe learned!

“Blake!” He called again, looking out of the kitchen over the living room. A few more moments and Blake still didn’t appear from the stairs on the far side of the room.

Grumbling, Adam walked over to the stairs and followed them down to the basement. He walked past the door to the garage and headed towards the one connected to their music room at the end of the hall.

“Aggh, ah fuck-”

Adam froze, turning slightly in confusion. Why was Blake’s voice coming through the door to the guest bedroom? It had been muffled, but it was Blake for sure. Adam stood rooted to his spot outside the door- Blake had said he was rehearsing today.

What the hell? The vocalist leaned in slightly, trying to hear at the crack of the door only to jump back in surprise at the loud sounds filtering through in the next second.

“Yes, yes yes YES! GOD!”

Adam blinked rapidly, his blood pounding in his ears. Blake sounded… Adam only ever knew him to sound like that when…

He reached tentatively for the doorknob, hesitating, only to hear a loud groan. It was like a punch to the gut.

Anxiety and anger flooded through Adam. What the fuck. What the ever loving FUCK was he doing?!

Adam’s fury overcame his fear, and he swung the door open swiftly, letting it slam against the wall as he looked about with rage.

Blake scrambled quickly to pull off his headset, turning slightly from where he was seated cross-legged on the floor. In front of a television. With Adam’s old XBOX.

They stared at one another for a moment, Blake’s eyes wide and guilty. “Adam!”

Relief washed over Adam, and suddenly it seemed there was much more air with which to breathe. Still, though! He seized a pillow off the guest bed and threw it at Blake’s head, hard. “You fuckwit!” He yelled. “I… I thought you were-!”

“I know, I know, sorry!!” Blake ducked the pillow, though it ruffled his curls as it zoomed over his head and thwacked the television screen. “I’m supposed to be practicin’ but I just needed a break and…?”

Blake trailed off, now very confused, because Adam was only staring at him with the biggest, strangest smile on his face.

“Uhh… are you actually mad at me?” He rubbed one hand over the tattoo on his arm, a nervous gesture.

Adam only shook his head. “You’re a dork, Blake. A goddamn nerd. And I fucking love you.”

Blake was very much at the dark in this point, but was willing to go along with it. “I love you too, hon?”

Adam laughed, pulling Blake by the hand. “C’mon. I made dinner.”

Blake followed his boyfriend upstairs, the gaming console forgotten on the floor.


	26. Getting Married

Adam and Blake threw themselves into the car, a discreet black SUV like hundreds of others on this side of town. Anonymity was a commodity like any other in Los Angeles, and so they were happy to be hidden from any curious eyes as they traveled through bustling downtown LA. 

Blake leaned against the door of the car, stretching his long legs sideways out over the seat. He was observing Adam, who was wrapped in an over large black leather jacket and sunglasses. His arms were wrapped tightly around himself as he hunched in his seat. One of Blake’s boots was settled in his lap.

“Are we stupid to be doing this?” He asked. 

Adam looked over, peering over his glasses with a raised eyebrow. This was the often-present expression that gave Blake thoughts about car sex. It was a pity they never drove themselves anywhere… the chauffer definitely didn’t work into that particular fantasy. 

“We’re stupid period. Doesn’t matter what we do.” Adam stated baldy. 

“Adam.”

“No Blake. This is the only way we’re gonna be able to do this quietly and in time for the tour.” He pulled off the shades, and one of his hands fell to the cuff of Blake’s jeans. He played with the denim fabric absent-mindedly. “Unless…you’re having second thoughts?”

Blake shook his head. “No fuckin’ way. I just wanna make sure I’m not depriving you of something.”

Adam grinned. “We’re dudes Blake. I think we can survive without the whole ceremony thing, as long as I get to fuck you when it’s over and done with.”  
Blake let out a loud laugh of surprise.

“Christ,” He chuckled as Adam gave him that dark, predatory stare he was so famous for. He was going to miss that smile. 

Adam was going on tour soon with the band, and he’d be gone for a good while. Blake had made plans to go and visit Oklahoma while he was on his own, so it wasn’t like he wouldn’t be keeping busy. But the idea of being without Adam for so long wasn’t something he was keen on. It was going to be hard on them. 

Adam had come to him two days ago, sick with anxiety about the looming date of his departure. 

“Blake,” He’d said quietly into his chest as the Southerner held him close. “I know we’ve only talked about it a little bit, but I think we should get married now. Like, right now.”

Blake let one hand run through Adam’s dark messy locks in an attempt to soothe his lover. It was clear he was keyed up. “Can I ask why?”

Adam looked up at him with bright, searching eyes. ”I need this, if we’re going to be apart for so long. I know it’s rushed, but I need the link to you. I’ve been downplaying how much this tour is stressing me out…” His voice had shaken on these words, and Blake had gripped him tighter. “I need to be connect to you in some way that will matter to the world if something happens.”

“Adam,” Blake sighed. “Nothin’s gonna happen. It’s going to be fine, it’ll be y’alls best tour ever.”

Adam wasn’t calmed by this. If anything he looked more anxious. “Do you not want to be married to me?”

“Of course I do.”

“Well then please, Blake. I need this. Please, please do this for us.”

Blake had searched his face for any doubt. “And when you’re home safely later on this year, and you’re landed with your new husband,” Blake heard Adam’s breathe catch in his throat at this image, “You’re not going to regret anything?”

Adam shook his head, leaning up to bring their lips impossibly close together. “No, Blake. No…that sounds like the fucking best thing in the world. I want it more than anything.”

Blake smiled, his eyes on Adam’s mouth. “I want it too. Okay, Adam. Let’s get married.”

They’d gotten a little distracted at that point, but later on in the day they’d gotten everything in order.

He was drawn out of his thoughts as Adam threw his leg off his lap.

“Hey!” He complained.

“Shut up, we’re here.” Adam’s voice was tense with anticipation. He looked curiously out the window, scanning the street for any figures that looked out of the ordinary. They’d left this little errand off their afternoon schedules and had made sure to not mention it to anyone. They should be safe.

Adam slipped on his shades again and slid out of the car, holding the door for Blake. Once they were both free of the vehicle they stepped inside quickly. 

“Whoa.” Blake couldn’t help expressing his surprise, even though he should have known better. 

It made sense that Los Angeles city hall would be just as grand and opulent on the interior as the city it served. Their steps echoed as they walked down the grand hall. Blake followed Adam blindly as he set a quick pace- he seemed to know where he was going. A few turns later and Blake almost walked into Adam when he stopped abruptly. 

“This is it.” Adam said, pushing the door open. He walked up to the front desk of the department, turning and grabbing hold of the sleeve of Blake’s jacket to keep him close. “Hi. We have an appointment under ‘Shelton-Levine.’

Blake swallowed around the lump in his throat. This was really happening. It may not be flashy or all that romantic, but they’d both had that before and knew better than to put any stock in it. 

As they were corralled into another room and signed their oaths of love down on official documents, Blake was reminded of how their love had grown from the simplest thing in the world. Friendship had brought them close and had broken down their walls enough for love to take root in the soft and subtle way that was the most powerful thing Blake had ever known. 

They repeated their vows around giant smiles, beaming at each other in front of the kindly old woman who served as their witness. Adam and Blake married each other on a bright January afternoon, and it was perfect.


	27. A Birthday

Their morning was a scrambling rush. They woke up late, having spent the majority of the evening before flipping through the Internet on their phones. Blake wouldn’t stop tweeting Adam and the notifications were so annoying that it sparked a twitter war between the two. 

It was absurd, given that they’d been sprawled next to each other in bed while they were “fighting”, and Adam couldn’t help marveling at the world they lived in when he saw how many likes and retweets they were getting for literally being idiots. 

Finally though, Adam had glanced over and smiled fondly as he heard Blake snoring softly, his phone lying on his chest. Adam gingerly took it and plugged it into the charger in the wall before turning over and going to sleep himself. They woke suddenly when the doorbell rang one, two, then three times in a row. 

“Whassat?” Blake blurted sleepily as Adam lurched out of bed, almost tripping over Charlie in the process. The younger man peeked out the window down onto the driveway. 

“Fuck!” He groaned. “It’s the driver. We are so dead.”

They dived for their clothes, pulling on their shoes haphazardly. 

Blake squirted some toothpaste into his mouth and ran downstairs. “Come on! We gotta go!”

“I know I know!” Adam hissed. He was holding the dog food and attempting to fill the bowl on the floor hastily. He tried to readjust, lost his grip, then proceeded to dump the entire bag onto the bowl. He gaped at the mess as the dogs came running. Blake bit his lip, but couldn’t hold in a snort.

Adam looked up, glaring. “Fuck it. Let’s go.”

He snatched his wallet off the counter and they were out the door. Blake apologized profusely to the chauffer as Adam threw himself into the car. He pouted all the way to the studio, grumbling about ‘indigestion’ and ‘dog obesity’ but Blake ignored him. It was going to be a good day, he had a feeling. 

Things brightened up considerably when they both had some Starbucks in their hands, and work began bright and early. They were whisked off to their respective teams, and Blake worked with his contestants happily all morning. 

“Hey!” Carson knocked on the rehearsal room door before entering with a smile. “Happy birthday old man! How is 39 fittin’ you?”

Blake groaned. “Oh, man, don’t remind me okay? I feel old as it is. Let’s just stick to the whole partying part of birthdays okay?”

Carson laughed. “Okay, buddy, whatever you say.” He leaned against the wall, content to linger until Blake’s next vocalist arrived for their session. “Speaking of parties, what do you have planned for tonight? I haven’t heard much.”

Blake shrugged. “I don’t really know, actually. We’ve been so busy that it hasn’t even come up, to be honest.”

Carson nodded. “You got that right. We’re all a bunch of workaholics, it’s gonna be the death of me one day.”

At that moment Blake’s next mentee walked in, a cameraman and sound guy following her. 

Carson gave a little wave. “I’ll get out of your hair, but let me know, okay?”

Blake assured him he would, but as he worked through the next hour and a half, his mind began to wander. What was he going to be doing tonight?

If he was honest with himself, he was guessing that Adam had something in mind and was keeping it to himself. He was that type of dude, eager to make a big thing out of just another birthday. Blake stifled a smile. Big or small, he would be pleased with whatever Adam came up with.

But Blake didn’t hear from Adam for the rest of the day. He’d have thought that he might come find him for lunch, but saw no sign of his boyfriend all afternoon. Blake worked quickly, and was the first coach done for the way. Around 6:30 he finished up and went looking for Adam. 

He found him in another wing of the building and watched through the glass door as Adam coached a young guy through several renditions of a song. He felt warmth and affection rise in his chest, happy at the chance to watch his lover in the midst of his work. 

“Blake!” He said in surprise when he’d finally finished. “Haven’t seen you all day. God, it’s been busy.”

“Yep,” Blake hummed. “You coulda called me ‘round lunch ya know. We could’ve grabbed something.” Blake had a fleeting thought of how nice a birthday lunch would’ve been for breaking up the work of the day. 

“Oh, I left my phone at the house this morning in our mad dash,” Adam explained as he picked up his things and followed Blake out the door. “Bet it’ll blow up when I finally get to it.” He laughed suddenly. “God, I wonder how the dogs are. Probably sick to their stomachs.”

They shared a chuckle, imagining the animals too stuffed to even move, when Adam heaved a great sigh. “Damn, I can’t wait for this day to be over! I’m exhausted.”

Blake’s amusement was extinguished right then, and he looked down at Adam in uncertainty. The shorter man was oblivious to the affect his words had on Blake, and he casually hopped into the black SUV that was waiting for them in the studio lot. 

Blake’s mild confusion turned to doubt as they rode in relative silence through the hills of West Hollywood. Adam didn’t even have a phone with him to distract himself, and yet he was still not paying attention to Blake, preferring to look out the window instead. 

Blake felt an uncomfortable, prickly feeling in his stomach as he began to realize what had happened. Adam must’ve forgotten today was his birthday. The country singer held tight onto his phone for something to do as a lump rose in his throat. 

He tried to convince himself that it didn’t matter, that they’d been swamped these past weeks, but a small indignant voice in his head couldn’t help pointing out that he’d gone to great lengths to make sure Adam’s last birthday was a raging success, complete with a party and amazing live music. 

“It’s stupid,” Blake thought to himself. “It’s just a birthday. You’ve had lots of ‘em before. Stop being an idiot.” 

This didn’t help much. He looked over at his boyfriend again. He was hurt. He couldn’t deny it. At this point, Blake would’ve been happy for a simple acknowledgement of the day- just the words ‘Happy Birthday!’ would do at this point. 

Well wishes remain unspoken however, and when they arrive at their dark house, Blake follows Adam at a distance in order to better hide his sadness. 

Annoyance flickered through him as he walked through the front door. Adam hadn’t even bothered to turn on the light, he always did that and it drove him up the wall. He reached out and practically slammed the switch when-

“SURPRISE!!!”

Blake let out a cry of shock as the voices of at least sixty people washed over him. He stared, flabbergasted at the beaming faces in front of him, coworkers and friends, and hell, he even spotted old friends from back home!

“Whaaa?” He bleated, earning some laughter and applause from the crowd. “How are y’all in my house?!”

Adam emerged then from the throng of people, smiling mischievously with two drinks in his hands. He trotted over and shoved one into Blake’s hand as music started playing and chatter picked up. “Did I get you?” He murmured into Blake’s ear. 

Blake smiled down at his lover a little ruefully. “Yeah you did. Maybe a little too well. You had me thinkin’ you forgot!”

Adam threw back his head and laughed. “How could I ever forget, Blake? The day you were born is marked down as one of the days on this Earth that I am most thankful for. Happy birthday, babe. I love you.”

Blake blinked rapidly, surprised at the wetness in his eyes. He was getting sappy in his old age. With a warm heart, he let Adam lead him into the crowd of friends and family.


	28. Something Ridiculous

Blake screwed his fingers up into the roots of Adam’s hair. The shorter man gasped as his head was brought back roughly and Blake scraped his teeth over Adam’s jaw line. The rock star kept his eyes shut tight as Blake ravaged his neck because the hot spray of water from the shower was partially hitting his face. 

He let Blake have his way for a while, shivering with pleasure as the water ran down their bodies, but eventually he got bored. Adam straightened up, then pushed Blake against the wall of the shower. 

“Ah!” Blake gasped. “The tile is like ice, dammit!”

Adam smirked, admiring how Blake’s wet curls were flopping over his face just enough to make him look wild. “Man up, cowboy. I think you can suffer a bit of cold for what I’m going to do to you.”

Adam ran his hands from Blake’s shoulders all the way down his body, kneeling in front of his lover. The warm water was beating down against his neck and running down his back, and Adam swallowed Blake’s cock in one good go of it. 

“J-jesus Christ-“ Blake swore, clinging to Adam’s hair for balance as he licked, sucked, and bobbed his head expertly. They’d done this enough times to know what felt fucking amazing. He made use of his hands and his mouth, eager to bring Blake pleasure. 

He could hear Blake breathing hard, and he felt Blake’s fingers leave his hair as he focused on his task.

Adam hummed around Blake’s dick in his mouth when he felt him start to massage his scalp. Fuck, that felt good, Adam thought lustfully. 

At least until suds started running down the side of his face. 

“What the fuck?” Adam popped off with an obscene noise, looking up in bewilderment. 

Blake’s eyes were dilated with pleasure, but his hands were covered in shampoo. 

“What the HELL are you doing?” Adam cried. 

“Washin’ your hair!”

Adam gaped.

“What?” Blake’s tone was defensive. “We can’t multitask?”

“NO!” Adam moaned, exasperated. “Not during sex, Blake!”

Blake had the sense to look at least a little sheepish. “Sorry. At least you’re clean now, though!”


	29. Something Sweet

Adam schlepped through the front door, running his hand through his hair tiredly. It had been a long, exhausting day. Even though it was the weekend, he’d spent the day in meetings with the label for the upcoming Maroon 5 tour. 

This was how it was during seasons of The Voice- weekends didn’t exist. Weekends were for not-crazy-people.

“L is for the way you look at me…” 

Adam’s head shot up in surprise. What was that?

“O is for the only one I see…” 

Adam grinned, incredulous. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. 

“V for very very…extraordinary…”

Blake was dressed up in a tux, a red rose tucking into his jacket pocket. He was sitting on the couch in their living room, strumming on his guitar.

“E is even more than anyone that you adore can…”

Adam scrambled forward, kneeling on the floor in front of Blake. He noted with delight that the country singer’s ears were turning slightly red at the attention, but he continued to sing sweetly, crooning in that perfect country twang of his. Adam bit his lip.

He waited patiently for his lover to finish serenading him, watching hungrily all the while. When Blake wrapped it up his awkwardness level increased exponentially.

The older man set down his guitar, scratching the back of his neck. “Well, I hope you liked that…just thought you might need a little pick me up…been workin’ so hard-”

Adam practically tackled him, climbing into his lap and sealing his lips over Blake’s. When they did come up for air a while later, Adam whispered sweet words against Blake’s neck as he started unbuttoning his shirt, tugging off the jacket aggressively.

“I love you too.”


	30. Something Hot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> partially inspired by that bizarre promo lol

Adam savored the feeling of the wind on his face. It wasn’t often that he was allowed to ride one of the bikes… gas had become scarce just like everything else, and so he only got to escape like this when there was an errand to be run. There was sand that stung his skin as he drove the bike across the wastes, but he was used to it. Everyone was used to it. 

The country had dried up. Looking back on it now, it was obscenely foolish of them to have ignored it for so long. They had known they were running out of water, but they hadn’t cared. The fight over the Earth’s simplest and most valuable resource had come to a head after even the wealthiest people struggled to afford enough water for their families. Adam remembers moving out of Los Angeles, which had quickly become one of the country’s first wastes. The population followed the water, and pretty soon the fights broke out. Adam didn’t like to think about that time. The only thing he chose to remember about it was how lucky he’d been to have Blake. In the aftermath of destruction and loss of life, Adam had been incredibly fortunate to have someone who knew how to shoot, how to hunt, and how to fight. 

He was going to see Blake right now, as a matter of fact. He knew the Southerner would be angry with him for being late. Blake always worried. Adam was careful though. He was always armed to the teeth, always wearing his protective clothing, and he ALWAYS hid his emergency water rations safely in the inner part of his jacket. If the worst should happen though, Blake had taught Adam how to fight, and fight well. 

Though they kept to themselves, they were known in the region as a pair not to be trifled with. The valley of sands that Adam was crossing at this moment was surrounded by some of the only mountain ranges that still collected fresh, safe rainwater. It ran in rivulets down the hillscape, and they’d meticulously constructed an irrigation and collection system to harvest it. It’d only been possible with the help of a few other groups in the area, and a cautious alliance had been formed. Blake and Adam kept mostly to their territory, but now and again they’d join the others to defend their area, forage, or embark on extended hunting missions. 

That’s where he was headed now. He’d been gone the past two days, scavenging the wastes for medication. Dr. Farren, one of the members of their little group, had scribbled down a list of things missing from her stores and Adam had been the first to volunteer to go. He’d shot his hand in the air, ignoring Blake’s frustrated, anxious glare. As had been the case for the past six months, Adam hadn’t seen another living soul on his whole journey. When he’d emptied the last of his petrol jug into the bike for his ride home, he almost thought he’d seen someone in the distance. He had squinted his eyes in the bright burning sun, but the figure had vanished. He’d written it off as a heat wave mirage and kicked the motorcycle to life.

The sun was setting behind Adam, and he accelerated as he sped through the last bit of his journey. The ground became rockier as he gained altitude; the flat smooth sands giving way to jagged rocks and desert shrubbery. He slowed next to the padlocked shed, unlocking it and stashing the bike quickly before continuing on foot. Another 45 minutes, and his muscles were burning from the climb. He was parched. “Blake!” He rasped, finally lowering the protective mouth guard that kept out the dust. “I’m back!”

Blake emerged from their house- if one could call it that. It was molded into the mountainside, its walls thick and camouflaged into the scenery. If you weren’t looking for it you would almost certainly miss it from any more than 50 yards away. Blake had designed it that way, and had also done this for every other dwelling on the range. Blake was holding a glass jar full of clear cool water. Adam murmured a quick thanks as he took the offered drink. He sipped once, then again before stopping for a break. He wanted to chug the whole thing, but they’d learned quickly that rationing meant the difference between life or death when times got hard and the earth became unforgivingly dry for a few weeks. It was best to be moderate.

“You’re a sight for sore eyes.” Blake said, leaning down for a kiss. Adam attempted to put as much feeling into it as he could as he responded eagerly, hoping to convey how much he’d missed Blake. He felt his lovers eyes rove over his body when they pulled away from one another, subtly checking for scratches or scrapes. “You’re dusty as all hell. Come clean up.”

Adam shook his head. “Nah, babe. I gotta deliver these meds, remember? The doc said it was urgent.”

Blake groaned, exasperated. “Not like that, she didn’t. She only meant don’t dawdle is all. No one’s dying.”

Adam shrugged. He didn’t say it, but the sudden tension in the air seemed to for him. Memories of their lost ones seemed to unfold around them. Adam suddenly felt it was hard to breathe. “Regardless,” He muttered, shouldering the satchel he’d carried these last few days. “I’m going right now. If something happens, it’s not going to be my fault.”

Blake stares at him. “I’ll come with you.” He steps into the house quickly to grab his hat, knife and gun, and soon they’re on their way. Blake catches him up on the activities of the past few days. Shane had finally caught the coyotes going through their sundries, and Dr. Farren had gotten together with Kate at last. Adam grins. “I was wondering when they were finally going to get their heads out of their asses. Kate’s only been hitting on her for a year.” Blake laughs loudly, smirking down at Adam. “Are you sure you’re not just grateful that the good doctor won’t be ogling you anymore?”

Adam blushes a little, shaking his head. “Maybe that too. Though if she wasn’t scared off by you, who knows if she’ll stop just because she’s taken now…” 

The air cools around them as they descend into the chasm. Adam always enjoys looking at the earthworks when they walk to the common area. He likes to look at the different layers of rock all stacked neatly on top of each other. It reminds him that things go on, even if one piece of time has ended and has been covered by another. Things still keep moving. He runs his long, gloved fingers over the cross section of minerals- sculpted and eroded by the very thing they now desperately seek. The walls narrow, and finally they stoop to enter the tunnel that opens into a cool, high ceilinged atrium. 

“Hey, man!” Blake greets the group that has gathered there for an evening meal. They get a few waves, and Adam receives a few calls of welcome. They pass by Farren who is fiddling with one of the radios. He plops the satchel down. “Hope this is enough, Doc. It’s all I could find.”

“Thanks,” She mumbles, buried in her work. 

Blake rests a hand on Adam’s nape, soothing him as they sit in some of the hodgepodge of furniture that has been scavenged and thrown together here. Carson speeds by, practically dropping two bowls into their laps. Adam stares down at the meal and Blake leans over. “We’ve been eating coyote meat since yesterday.” He mutters out of the side of his mouth. “Can’t let it spoil apparently. Kind of wish it would.”

Adam stifles a laugh, not wanting to hurt Shane’s feelings, and digs in anyway. He hasn’t had anything more than sundries in 72 hours so he’s not about to complain. He’d brought his jar of water with him, and he gave himself permission to finish it off with the rest of the meal. Blake looks glad. “You needed to rehydrate, Adam. It rained yesterday too, so we have more than 80% in our stores.”

Everyone overhears this bit of news and perks up. “You mean we get to shower?” Leela asks excitedly. Blake laughs. “Yup.”

This, along with Adam’s safe return makes the evening positively festive. Soon the chatter turns loud, and the atrium is echoing with the happy voices of their small band of survivors. Adam never thought they’d have this. He is tired from his journey and from his full stomach, and he leans against Blake sleepily. His lover strokes his hair as they enjoy the company of the others, but memories swim to the surface of Adam’s mind. It’d been happening a lot lately. He remembers Blake and him fighting their way out of the city, how each bloody gunfight had been won by the skin of their teeth. Each one came with a terrible price, whether it was resources or the life of one of their loved ones. Eventually he and Blake were the only ones left. 

Adam sits up suddenly, not wanting his stupid brain to ruin the end of one of their good days. He wants to forget all about this, for tonight at least. He nudges Blake. “Can we go? Please?”

Blake nods, understanding apparent in his gaze. It’s the ‘please’ that tips him off. They bid everyone a good night and return home, the walk silent this time. The weight seems to fall from Adam’s shoulders as soon as they step through the door; because that’s the moment that Blake takes control. “Take off your clothes, Adam.” 

“Yes, sir.” Adam says obediently. He strips, his toned, lithe body aching slightly from his travels. Blake admires him, running a hand down his neck as Adam keeps his eyes focused on the ground. 

“You know what comes next.” Blake says, tipping Adam’s chin upwards with a finger. “Come on.”

Adam walks through the archways of their home until he steps into the open air of their courtyard. The walls are high, affording them privacy and yet still allowing the water system to fuel the pool of water housed in the center of their home. It’s almost like a pond, except filtered and without vegetation- Adam steps into it, wading in to his stomach. The cold is a shock, but he keeps still for Blake, who washes him carefully. Adam closes his eyes as his dominant takes care of him, preparing his body for what’s to come. 

“You’re beautiful Adam.” The younger man opens his eyes and steps out into the waiting arms of his lover. He’s shivering a little, the water running down his legs, but it feels positively luxurious. He lets out a little squeak of surprise when Blake scoops him up, and he clings to his neck as he’s carried back into the house. 

“I’ve missed you so much.” Blake murmurs, his voice deeper, darker. “Spread for me.”

Adam breathes deeply and stretches out where he’s been laid on their bed. He arches, presenting himself for Blake. “Please, sir.”

Blake shushes him, pulling out bindings. Adam fights to keep his breathing steady as he’s trussed up. It’s about control, he reminds himself, it’s about giving up that control to Blake so he can slip away like he needs to. His wrists are tied together tight and the ropes are looped around the bedpost. Blake lays scratchy kisses on his arms, his neck, and on one hip as he lowers himself. 

Adam writhes his hips, struggling when Blake restrains first one ankle, then the other. “Agh!” He gasps at the tightness of it, testing the bindings. They’re not painful, but they’re right on the edge. He feels the panic welling in his throat, that feral part of his brain telling him to fight, to scream. Blake tightens a hand around Adam’s throat, descending upon him and kissing him roughly. It’s filthy, with scraping teeth and slick mouths, but it does the trick. Adam is quelled for the moment, arousal pulsing through him. 

He ruts up against Blake, longing for contact. “Please, sir! Please let me- let me do something-“

“Quiet.” Blake bites. He strips down and grasps at Adam’s thighs. He’s been dreaming of doing this for two days now, and he’ll be damned if he doesn’t get to taste right this second. 

“Ahh!” Adam cries as Blake squeezes painfully hard and bites where leg connects to groin. He sucks hard, aiming to leave marks, and he laps at what he hopes will be a bruise. Adam’s whimpers are music to his ears as he goes to work. He gives his undivided attention to his lovers skin, but dances around that area where Adam wants him most desperately. 

“M-Master-“ Blake hears Adam whisper before cutting himself off. He knows this is their term reserved for Adam’s most overwrought moments, and so he finally ends the torture. He takes Adam’s cock in hand, working him quickly as he brings his fingers to Adam’s waiting hole. Blake growls over Adam’s cry and he penetrates him in one go. He thrusts his digit in and out, mesmerized by the image, adding more fingers in order to force Adam to relax. He can hear the younger man panting farther up the bed, his breath fraught with moans. He pulls away suddenly, rising onto his knees. 

“Whaa,” Adam gasps. Blake smacks him hard on his inner thigh; Adam screams and then falls silent, chastened. 

“I-I’m sorry, sir.” Adam’s voice is shaky. “I only want to please you…I-“

Blake shushes him. “No more of that. You’ll be good for me, won’t you?”

Adam nods frantically. “Yes, sir! Yes, anything!”

“I’m going to fuck your face, Adam.” Blake hisses into his ear. Shivers ghost through Adam’s limbs, but he’s already opening his mouth wide, eager to accommodate, he can be pliant he can be good-!!

The girth of Blake is something Adam had been able to work up to; his jaw stopped getting sore when they’d done this enough times, but Blake’s length was something he’d never been able to get used to. His boyfriend was huge. 

He choked as Blake pushed past his lips and down his throat roughly. He inhaled his Master’s scent, relishing the closeness and the musk of his lover. He struggled for breath whilst trying to give his best for Blake, suckling his cock and keeping his throat nice and relaxed as Blake groaned above him. 

“So good, Adam.” Blake grunted. “Being a good slut for me, aren’t you? You love this don’t you, can’t ever get enough you little cockslut…”

Adam’s eyes were watering, but he blinked away his tears wetly. His own cock was hard against his stomach and leaking, he could feel it. He was so desperate for contact, but he couldn’t move an inch, he was tied down like an animal. 

Blake’s thrusts were getting sloppy, so he knew he must be close but Adam needed more, he needed to be claimed, he needed to be filled. 

The younger man started up a high-pitched, truly desperate keening around Blake’s dick, slurping messily when he finally pulled away. He was breathing too hard to really appreciate the quick kiss on the mouth he received for his trouble, but Blake was already at his entrance once more.

“Oh, god!” Adam felt curling fingers inside his body once more, the contrast in temperatures making him shaky. He felt so exposed, especially since every time he reflexively attempted to close his legs he was unable to, only getting rope burn on his ankles for the attempt. 

“You always stay so tight,” Blake said, in awe. “So pink, so perfect and tightly furled. Only ever touched by me.” He licked along Adam’s rim, the muscle contracting at the contact. “You keep yourself nice for me, don’t you?”

Adam was trying to pull at the binds on his wrists when Blake settled the head of his cock against his entrance and fucked into him. He cried out, arching off the bed as he felt Blake bottom out, his balls nestled against Adam firmly. He was delirious with the feeling- so full, so sated. His abdominal muscles clenched, and he undulated his hips wantonly, trying to entice Blake to fucking MOVE. 

“Fuck me!” Adam shrieked, at his wits end. Retribution was swift: An iron grip around his throat cut off his air supply, and Blake was snarling into his ear. It was worth it though, because Blake began to slam into him without any hesitation. The pace was quick and brutal, and Adam felt how his body was jarred from the thrusts against him, tears streaming down his face from the lack of oxygen.

The tightness was burning in his lower belly, and he felt helpless with his pleasure. He was going to come, untouched, which was a sensation that evoked a certain type of madness. Blake was his world. He belonged to Blake in this moment, and nothing mattered except pleasing him, serving him, being there for him to use-

“BLAKE!” Adam shuddered through his climax, utterly powerless. He slumped against the mattress, boneless and docile as Blake fucked him until he came, biting down hard on Adam’s neck. 

They were still for a time, Blake’s weight heavy against Adam’s sweat soaked skin. Then with a groan of exhaustion, Blake began to move, undoing to binds tethering Adam to his place. It took a warm, damp cloth ghosting over his skin and sweet chaste kisses to draw Adam out of his bleary eyed sub space. "Adam..." Blake whispers his name over and over, coaxing him back into their place of love and safety. 

“Mmm..?” He hummed tiredly. 

“You were so good, Adam.” Blake said quietly into his hair. “You did so good for me. I’m so happy.”

Warmth rose in Adam’s chest, and he reached sleepily for Blake. The older man wrapped Adam up in his arms and settled against him. Their minds were quiet, and they were able to slip easily into simple, dreamless sleep.


	31. 31. A Happy Ending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not entirely sure this qualifies, but it has a happy ending so there ya go. It's a continuation of the last chapter. This challenge has been fun. Cheers you guys!

Blake woke early the next morning. He stifled a groan as his joints cracked, trying to be quiet in order to let Adam sleep in a little bit. He deserved some extra rest. Blake wondered ruefully if he would ever be able to sleep in like that again… as things stood now, it wasn’t possible. The irrigation system required a lot of maintenance and daily inspections- a contaminated water supply could quickly become the source of disease and death instead of life. Things were fickle that way now.

He pulled on the many layers of protective clothing scattered on their dusty bedroom floor, donning his cap as he stepped out into the open. He made his rounds, checking the valves and ensuring the pipes connecting to all their homes were in good condition. The earth crunched under his boots, but the air was remarkably still today given their altitude. It made Blake’s skin itch when there wasn’t a breeze- he looked out over the vista, surveying the wastes. There was not a trace of life there, and the lack of winds left the sands unmoving. It was a little eerie, but the sun was beginning to peek out over the adjacent mountainside- he needed to get moving. Collecting water meant that you had to get to it before it could evaporate under the morning sun. Blake turned tail and began his hike up to the top ridge of the cliffs. 

The host of their system lay there amidst the rocks. The Southerner was pleased to see that a good bit of water had collected over night… they seemed to be experiencing a good few weeks. Blake prayed it would last through the month. They needed to build up enough stock to make preserves and begin growing things again in Leela’s greenhouse. He peered into the collection bins, looking for any large debris that would take out the filters. He plucked a few pebbles and twigs from one basin, but otherwise there wasn’t much to do. He began twisting knobs, allowing half the water to flow down the pipes to supply the homes below. The other half he redirected to the larger storing container for other uses. 

As he descended down the cliffs, carefully balancing his weight so wouldn’t slip, his stomach began to growl. He could smell the scent of breakfast wafting over from Shane’s place. That kid could cook something out of anything and Blake was grateful for him. He was grateful for all of them- everyone in their group pulled their weight. 

“I told you there were people here.” 

Blake’s head shot up at the sound of an unfamiliar voice. Three men- big, burly blokes- were standing close together about a yard away from him. They were covered in grime, but their eyes were bright and hungry as they observed Blake. His heart started beating quickly. They were armed.  
That in and of itself was something rare. They hadn’t run into a stranger in a long while, but to meet some with something as valuable as weaponry told Blake that these weren’t friendly folk. 

“What are you boys looking for?” Blake growled. “There’s nothin’ for you here.” He was taller than all three of them, but it still didn’t sway the numbers his way. He was outnumbered, and unarmed, he realized with a wince. Like an idiot he’d left his gun in the house. 

“Well actually that’s not true. See, we were lead here by someone, cowboy,” Blake rankled at the term, especially when it came from such a sleazy figure. “He didn’t even notice us following him. He’s a pretty little thing… pretty enough to earn us a serious payday back in the city.”

“You’re thievers.” Blake accused, disgusted. Of all the types that could’ve stumbled into their territory, these were some of the worst. Their words began to sink in as they advanced. All the blood drained from Blake’s face. 

Adam. They were talking about Adam, who was probably sleeping obviously in their home not 50 feet down the cliff, thinking they were safe and sound. “You’re not layin’ a hand on him.” Blake snarled. “Or anybody else here! Get the hell out now and maybe I won’t kill you.”

The men laughed before moving quickly. Blake got in a few good punches, drawing blood before one of them wrapped their arms around his neck from behind. He felt the sting of a knife against his face as he lost his balance. Blake crashed to the ground, one thiever crushing him with his bodyweight. “SHANE!!!” Blake screamed, hoping the kid would hear. “WAKE ADAM UP, WAKE UP EVERYONE-“

Blake felt blinding pain across his temple, and knew no more. 

…

“Blake, wake up.”

Blake groaned, blinking thickly. Pain throbbed through his skull and he turned over on all fours, dry heaving over the dirt. He spat blood out of his mouth. 

“Blake, try not to move too much, I don’t know if anything’s broken-“ Dr. Farren’s voice was shaky, her hands reaching for his rib cage. He pulled away, hissing in pain. 

“Where’s Adam?” He croaked. “Where is he?”

He looked up into the doctor’s face, a dark bruise mottling her sharp cheekbone. Tears were running down her face. “They took him, Blake.” She confessed quietly. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Blake stumbled into an upright position, his muscles screaming. He quelled the nausea, his eyes searching their encampment desperately. He saw Shane, lying still against a boulder. ”Is he…?” Blake whispered. 

“No, no.” Dr. Farren assured him. “I patched him up, then drugged him.” She sounded sickened. “They broke his leg…I had to reset the bone.”

“Is anyone else hurt? Did they take anyone else?” 

“Carson was grazed by a bullet, but I don’t think they wanted to waste any ammo. They just left him with a bloody shoulder. They didn’t seem interested in anyone else.” Blake began walking unsteadily back to his house, the doctor following close behind him and speaking rapidly, as if the flow of information might numb the raw terror building in Blake’s soul. “They must’ve gotten him while he was asleep, when they carried him out of the house he wasn’t moving but there was blood on his forehead.”

Blake walked slowly into his home, the overturned tables and shelves and scattered belongings the only evidence of the crime that had taken place. 

“Where.” He asked quietly, his eyes closed. “Where in the city would they take him? They said he was… that he was a payday.”

Understanding filtered through Dr. Farren’s tone. “If they’re thievers, they’ll probably take him to the arenas. They’re going to sell him, Blake.”

Fury shot through Blake, his vision almost blinded by his hate. He was going to murder them, slowly, painfully and ruthlessly. “I’m going. Right now.”

She nodded. “We expected that. We’ll wait for word.”

Blake scooped a rucksack off the floor with trembling hands, shoving things in hastily. A list of supplies began running through his mind, anxious to get on the road. The longer he took, the harder it would be to find Adam.

…

Dust was heavy in the air when Adam came to. His body was slumped against the inside of a truck bed, which seemed to be moving at a fast pace. The motion jostled his aching muscles and the sun was beating down ruthlessly upon him. He tried to lick his lips for some moisture, but realized he couldn’t. There was a cloth stuffed into his mouth, he realized- it was tied around the back of his head. His arms and legs were tied together as well. He took stock of his body with a throbbing head. His head ached terribly. 

“Don’t start shiftin’ around.” Came a sharp voice.

Adam squinted, the desert sun reflecting off metallic insides of the bed of the truck making it hard for him to see. A man with a dust rag and a heavy black hood shadowing his face sat cross-legged against a spare tire. A rifle lay across his lap. 

“Just stay put.” The man bit out. Adam wanted to ask where they were going, but the gag in his mouth prevented that. Panic welled in him with the realization that the mirage he’d thought he’d seen on his way home yesterday hadn’t been an illusion after all. He’d been followed. These thievers must’ve found their enclave. 

He started breathing hard, unable to calm himself as Blake came to mind- Blake and everyone else. They’d obviously been raided and it was all his fault. Visions of Blake and their friends, bloody and unmoving, began burning through his mind. Oh, God- Adam suddenly started thrashing, desperate to be free. 

“Hey!” The man shouted, banging on the window of the truck. One of the men sitting up front startled. “He’s wiggin’ out back here, I think he’s in shock or something.”

“Well, stop him! Don’t let him disfigure himself, we won’t get the price we want!”

Adam yelled through the gag in his mouth, practically roaring in anger as he tried to give a good kick to the man with his tied feet. The guy hit him across the head, hard. Stunned, Adam lay still. He was already in pain from where they must’ve knocked him out before. The added blow almost made him senseless. 

“We’re almost there,” He heard one of them say. “I can see the skyline.” Horror welled in Adam but he didn’t move from the metal flooring. They were going into the city… that meant he was going to be traded off. His life was basically over. Even though he was bound Adam tried to look up at the sky, wondering where Blake was, if he was okay, if he was safe…

He hoped Blake wasn’t stupid enough to come running after him, but Adam knew the odds of that were next to nill. Adam let himself slip away for the remainder of the journey. He’d need to save his strength. 

…

Blake felt the adrenaline in his veins as he pushed the motorcycle even harder over the rough terrain. He was glad he’d slung petrol reserves into his pack because he’d needed to refuel once to reach the city’s edge. Once he’d crossed the sprawl of slums he’d continued on foot. A running vehicle was too loud, too ostentatious in the ruins of the city. The people here were practically zombies… they were scavengers willing to slit a throat for a bottle of water, and the prospect of acquiring a fueled vehicle would make him a prime target for looting. 

Blake kept to shadowed paths through the city, moving stealthily. He felt a little better knowing he had weapons hidden all through his clothing, but he’d rather not use them until he had too. Any unnecessary brawls would just slow him down. It wasn’t hard to find the arena- it was housed in one of the city’s dilapidated old stadiums; ironically it was the type that he and Adam used to perform in. Oh how times had changed. 

Nowadays they were used to force people to fight. It was entertainment for those depraved enough to stay in the city. The practice was run by the water hoarders who also ran the city with their monopoly of the supplies. Blake likened it to the old days of gangs and mafia bosses. They allowed people to watch the bloody fights for water tokens, and the bets on likely victors were a side business that fueled the power play constantly shifting the politics of the wastes. 

Of course, this had spawned the business of the thievers, who kidnapped people and sold them to the fighters. If they were someone a crowd might root for (someone fierce and strong… or someone who was nice to look at, like Adam) then the prices went way up. 

Blake’s rage returned, thrumming through his veins as he snuck into the side of the building. The large corridors were empty, but the roar of people echoed in from the center. Blake stepped in, keeping his hat low on his face.

A giant, wrought-iron cage surrounded the crater that was blown into the bottom of the building. People were perched all over it, hanging as they jeered and cheered over the activity inside. Blake felt a pang in his chest when he saw Adam amongst the small group of people tethered together. His head was held high and his eyes were full of pride and anger, his mouth set into a grim line. 

Blake swallowed around the lump in his throat. Adam had the look of a man who was resigned to his fate but determined to face it with dignity. Blake stepped forward, hands grasping at the iron. No one took note of him. 

About a half dozen people were making deals in the arena, fighters and thievers obviously haggling over the price of these new acquisitions. Blake observed them closely. There weren’t more than three guns between the six of them, but he couldn’t tell who was packing concealed weaponry. He’d have to wait. 

Blake backed up into the shadows, climbing in the dark to find a place to watch. Since Adam was new he probably wouldn’t be forced to fight tonight, but it wasn’t a sure thing. He resolved to stay put and watch.

Sure enough, as the sun fell over the ruins the dark and depraved came out of the woodwork and filled up the arena. The noise was deafening now, and Blake watched from above like a hawk as Adam was brought forward with a few of the others. Oh, shit. 

“Ladies and Gentlemen!” A voice boomed through the cavernous building. “Your next fighters!”

The response that they get is overwhelming. Crude words are shouted down at Adam but he doesn’t give any indication that he hears the taunts or the depraved harassment. His face was like stone, but Blake thought he looked very pale. He must be terrified. 

Yells temporarily deafened Blake, but his heart sank. He was not going to get lucky. They were going to make him fight. With a racing heart, he suddenly decided to go with his instincts. 

Blake pulled out one of his guns from the inside of his jacket, unlocked it, aimed, and fired. The shot echoed through the arena and the people scattered like rats. 

Blake scrambled down the scaffolding near him, his legs a little stiff from keeping still for so long. He tried to see into the cage, but was unable to due to the fleeing masses. He shoved his way through and saw that under the spotlight the fighters were looking around frantically for the source of the gunfire. 

Blake aimed and picked off one, then another. They fell to the ground like flies. People were screaming in confusion, but nobody had seemed to notice that Blake was the source of the shots. He crouched, climbing into the pit. 

He saw Adam throw himself to the ground for safety, still tethered to a young woman who was trembling with fear. When Blake walked towards them he saw alarm light up Adam’s face. He tipped his hat up enough to let the spotlights of the arena hit his face. 

“Blake!” Adam gasped. “What the-“

Blake whipped out a knife and stooped down, cutting the bindings on the pair. He’s just sawed through the last of them when Adam pulls him down on top of him by the front of his jacket. A bullet whizzes so close to Blake’s head that he feels the air move by his ear. 

“Oh.” He says, before turning and firing off more shots. The fighters had finally caught on to what was going on, or at least believed that someone was trying to loot their captives while chaos reigned. 

He struck the attackers down easily, then mowed down the thievers he recognized as Adam’s kidnappers. He was glad he was a good shot, he thought coldly, satisfied that he’d been able to rid the world of a little more evil.

“Come on,” He heaved Adam and the girl to their feet. “There will be more coming. We’ve got to get out with everyone else.”

Without another word they scramble into the crowd, letting it sweep them out onto the dark street. 

Once they’re well away and take refuge in one of the old bungalows near Venice beach, they allow themselves to rest for a moment. 

“You idiot,” Adam hisses. He’s furious and yet doesn’t want to impede their ability to hear if anyone approaches. ”You should’ve never come, you could’ve died!”

Blake rests a hand on Adam’s face, thankful that there’s nothing more than a bruise on his temple. “Did you really expect me to let you go? I’d rather die than allow that.” 

He kisses Adam softly and finds both their eyes are wet. Adam clears his throat when he pulls away. “Blake, this is Sarah.” He says thickly. “Sarah, this is my colossally stupid boyfriend.”

Introductions are perfunctory but to Blake Sarah seems like a sweet girl. He hopes that if they’re able to get out of this alive that he can bring her back with them to their home if she wants. She lights up at the offer. “Yes, please! I’ve wanted to get out of this city forever but I’ve never had enough capital to trade for a travel token. I’ve barely scraped enough water tokens to survive as it is. I was in too much debt, and a loan shark sold me.”

She observes them closely while they try to formulate a plan, when suddenly her face lights up. “Hey!” She whisper- shouts. “You two were famous before, weren’t you? Before all this?”

Adam and Blake glance at one another, bewildered, but they nod. 

“I think I know how to get us out of here.” She says excitedly. “Come on, we need to go to the Sierra.”

Blake and Adam have no idea what this means but decide to trust her. She leads them carefully through the ruins, and the Sierra turns out to be an old part of Glendale. 

“Why are we here?” Blake asks quietly as they come up on a highway overpass. Underneath there are lots of old parked cars, and with a jolt he realizes that he can see people in and around a few of them. He feels alarm and is about to kick himself for trusting this girl so easily when she looks over her shoulder. “These are the racers, and I think you know one of them!” Her voice was shushed, but confident.

Adam and Blake say nothing, but clasp hands tightly for strength. Their steps are loud in the silence that’s suddenly hovering over the area. They were very clearly intruders, and the people they see become still and watch them silently. Sarah leads them to a group gathered around a bonfire- the crowd of people looks forbidding, with grease on their skin and the smell of petroleum in the air, but they make way for the trio. 

Blake squints into the flickering lights by the fire. People are shifting, until suddenly he spots a small familiar figure. Was that-?

“Christina!” Adam cries. He breaks his grip from Blake’s hand, stumbling forward. She turns, a flash of blonde hair reflecting in the firelight, but recognition and joy light up her face. “Oh my God!”

Adam and Christina smack into each other, hugging tightly. Blake comes forward, still in shock at seeing someone else from before. He’d never have believed it. He’s suddenly yanked forward into the embrace by Adam. “I can’t believe it’s you!” Adam is saying, his voice muffled from where his face is pressed into Christina’s shoulder. 

“How are you… how is this…?” Adam doesn’t know how to frame his question safely with all the people surrounding them, watching interestedly. He wants to ask what in God’s name Christina is doing running with the racers. They’re a brutal gang that controls the supply of gasoline and transport in the ruins, if Adam remembers correctly. They’re almost as bad as the water hoarders, and the two groups constantly struggle with one another over power. He holds Christina at arms length, getting a good look at her and searching her face for distress. She looks happy.

“These guys are my family.” She says, smiling. “I haven’t been having much trouble in the city.” Her grin turns feral. “I was always more bloodthirsty than the two of you, if you remember.”

Adam smiles in return, choosing not to delve into what this statement could mean, especially in present company. He steps back into Blake’s chest, letting the older man wrap a protective arm over his chest. 

Christina eyes them curiously. “So you’re together now?”

Blake nods, speaking for the first time. “Yeah. After everything, it made sense to stick together. Things just happened after that.” Christina nodded, understanding. Everyone who had survived the fights understood how change was just part of life now. “It’s good to see you,” He says, his tone soft and genuine. “But we’re actually here because we need help. We need to get out of the city.”

Blake shares their story, getting sighs of sympathy and cries of outrage from the pack of racers as he outlines the struggles they’d suffered through. As he’d hoped, Christina jumped in passionately as he wound down.

“But of course we’ll help you!” She cries, indignant on their behalf. “We hate the thievers, we only deal with them when we have to.”

She leads Blake, Adam, and Sarah to an old Ford. “It’s not the slickest we’ve rebuilt,” She hums, kicking the tires. “But for where you’re going I have a feeling you need durability and not speed. There should be enough in the tank to get you home. I’m sorry I can’t supply you with more gas… the prices are just too high at the moment.”

They thank her profusely, insisting this is more than they’d ever hoped for. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with us…?” Adam asks quietly. “It’s peaceful out in the range…we’ve built a life there.”

She shakes her head, her smile bittersweet. “I love you guys, but that’s not me. Even though it might kill me one day, I need this fight in my life. If I ever slowed down, if I ever let the anger fade… I’d probably just lay down and die.”

Blake nods, understanding. They’d all lost people and everyone coped with it differently. They all hugged one last time, happy that some good had come out of the terror of everything. 

Christina marshals two other racers to escort them to the edge of the city, waving goodbye before slipping back under the roadway. The sports cars are painted a black warrior matte, and the thugs leaning out the windows with automatic guns scare away anyone thinking of messing with the caravan. Once they’re past the slums they turn back, and Blake kicks the truck into high gear. 

The night is fading, the sky a pale pinkish purple behind them. The car is silent as they drive; both Adam and Blake are lost in thoughts of their small tentative family waiting on them to return. Sarah had fallen asleep in the backseat, a small hopeful smile on her face. 

Blake lifts one arm and Adam scoots over to take refuge in his lovers’ embrace. Dawn breaks over them and the sun lights their way home.


End file.
